Ireland: Varadkar will have a fight on his hands to pass 12-weeks legislation

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Varadkar will have a fight on his hands to pass 12-weeks legislation
Even if abortion referendum passes, Dáil will be another battleground

Feb 3, 2018
Pat Leahy

A third in favour, a third against and a third that has yet to declare its hand. That is, roughly, how the Dáil looks when it comes to the proposal to legalise abortion on request up to 12 weeks.

The survey of TDs’ attitudes cannot be taken as the definitive word on their voting intentions. The legislation has yet to be published. It may never come before the Dáil, if the referendum is defeated. If it passes, the political context within which these decisions are made will be changed. And people will change their minds; many of them will change them more than once.